#midnightred

[iiota]

slowly accepting that i just go to bed at 10pm sometimes now

[the-haiku-bot]

Kate and Anthony

- first dance vs. dancing as

a married couple

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

Kate and Anthony - first dance vs. dancing as a married couple

[sirenascelestiales]

BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! once you are given this award, you're supposed to paste it in the asks of eight [8] people you adore! absolutely no pressure, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside & out, 𝓍𝑜𝓍𝑜. ♡

thank you vi!

💐💐💐

[eihsthetic]

I thought I had the worst..

These past months I’ve been collecting pieces of myself that were extremely shattered. Mandatory healing process where I go somewhere else unplanned, nothing else to do. Just go to where my feet would take me. Visit milk tea and coffee shops that would satisfy my cravings and inside my bag were my diary, a jeweled pen and a heavy heart. Those lasted for a few weeks. I thought i’d be able to continue my weekend routine.

3 or 4 years ago, I thought I had the worst. I’m only 25 and thought I had met the person who would stay with me ‘till the end, through ups and downs. What would be worse than cheating? I knew. I thought I had the worst. i thought it ended with my healing process, but this damned girl right here even embraced ‘him’ again and experienced the worst of the “worst” thing ever in her life. Thinking of a 2nd chance but had the worst again. Cheating over cheating. 

He asked me what made me stay when we both knew he had given me a lot of pain and trauma. What made me really stay when we knew that my parents would disapprove him when the truth prevails? We both know what could possibly happen and I knew some things will change next year.

I just wanted to cherish my remaining memories with him before our time ends. I hope when that time arrives, I would be able to let him go. 

But for now, let me hold your hand and say, “Lalaban pa tayo.” kahit minsan mo ‘kong niloko. Ibibigay ko na lahat hanggang sa maubos ako. Kung mauubos nga ba talaga ako.

[sunny-starshine]

nasty doodle at midnightr

[shychick-52]

It still breaks my heart that Cedric was hardly in the series finale 'Forever Royal' (and that he and Sofia barely interacted), after everything. 😭😭

He wasn't even in season 4 much. It's like they didn't know what to do with him ever since his amazing redemption episode 'Day of the Sorcerers' (which was the first episode of the last season).

I'm actually glad their focus on him in the last season after 'Day of the Sorcerers'- until the final- was healing from his past and repairing his damaged relationships with people in his life (Cordelia in 'Through the Looking-Back Glass' and Roland in 'In Cedric We Trust'), because the progress felt more realistic than just having everything be automatically OK after he changed. But I would have wanted to see him part of the family more (especially after he made things right with Roland) and get even closer with Sofia, and just have him in more episodes. We didn't get to see him finally truly happy and part of the family until the finale.

Cedric's redemption was a huge deal, and it should have had a greater effect on the last season. Instead, they pretty much wasted it. I know he isn't the main character, but still! They still could have done more with him, even while focusing on the stupid Protector/Mystic Isles arc.

There were actually plenty of episodes in season 4 that he would have fit in, which I plan to talk about soon. I also want to talk about how he could have fit into Sofia's Protector arc, so stay tuned.

@midnightrealness @moonypears-blog @aquicat @cedric-my-beloved @mushroomsie224

[mushroomsie224]

I uploaded this poll again because I accidentally messed up the original one (swapped the summaries), so the results for that may be inaccurate!

Putting the summaries under the cut again, correctly this time. So sorry, guys!

Tri-Kingdom Picnic

At the annual Tri-Kingdom picnic, the children and their parents compete for the Golden Chalice Trophy. James partners with Sofia while Amber drops out to paint parasols with Princess Lina of Khaldon. James's bad sportsmanship leads to everyone quitting the games. Amber suggests showing him how to play by watching the parents, which helps. James apologises, and they resume the games. Khaldon wins the Golden Chalice, and James vows to win next year.

Two to Tangu

Sofia, Amber, James, Hildegard, Vivian, Cleo, Jun, and two of James' prince friends visit the kingdom of Tangu for a surprise party. They ride flying carpets, but Sofia and Amber crash into a marketplace. A fortune teller guides them to Tangu Park, but their carpet traps them in the Hanging Gardens. They seek help from Jasmine to help, who encourages Amber to try new things, and helps them deal with the crazy carpet. Meanwhile Zandar impresses Hildegard with elephant shows and Tangu's culture. Sofia and Amber finally reach Tangu Peak. They all return to their kingdom with lasting memories.

(from Wikipedia)

Thanks @angelshizuka and @midnightrealness for pointing it out!

[suspendingtime]

Nine people I’d like to get to know better

Tagged by @hydriotaphia, @mimix007, and @thesherlockianwhojustcant (the versions done by the taggers were slightly different, so I've cobbled them into one).

Last song I listened to: I Guess by Lizzie McAlpine.

Favourite colour: Blue blue blue blue blue blue blue blue.

Currently watching: I've been watching Sanditon and rewatching Fallout most recently. And 'cause I took a while to do this; the second half of Bridgerton season 3 came out, so ofc I consumed that straight away. 😋

Sweet/savoury/spicy?: I'm gonna say sweet, that's what I want while I'm writing this.

Relationship Status: Unsingle.

Current obsession: Oh, tbh not much else apart from all the different fictional universes I'm constantly thinking about. I did recently redownload The Sims 2 (ultimate collection with all the expansion packs) for some nostalgia, and it took over my life for a lil bit, what a game (but now brainrot is getting in the way of that dfghjk).

Currently reading: No books ongoing atm. But I've been reading more poetry recently; an ongoing attempt at introspection (that feels so lame to say, but I'm trying to reject the self-cringe).

Last thing I googled: Two that were linked and done one after the other; "when was nail polish invented" and "when were sequins invented". My sister was asking me questions re Bridgerton's most recent costumes and nail choices, and surprisingly I didn't know the answer to these off the top of my head. 😅

💕 Tagging; going to tag some newer moots/those that I haven't tagged in a tag game before (absolutely no pressure) - @yelena-bellova, @bethccassidy, @pensbridgertons, @habibialkaysani, @crown-ov-horns, @corporalicent, @midnightrings, @claudiajessies, and @betweencomfortandchaos.

[mwuaferrari]

CRUEL SUMMER — DANIEL RICCIARDO

summary: Daniel and Camille are best friends who are in love but will never admit it. Not until she gets drunk one night and makes a bet that leaves her in hot water.

pairing: daniel ricciardo x camille (reader)

words: 1.6K

warning: some bad words maybe. and as I told you before, english is not my native language, so any spelling or writing error is the fault of the translator.

tags: @midnightric @dan3avacado (if you want to be tagged in the next stories, let me know in the comments! <3)

Daniel and Camille had been friends for a while when Michael had introduced them, and have been almost inseparable ever since. There was always some love tension between the two. His friends knew it, his family and even his coworkers knew it, but they denied it. 

That night they were at a party in the city of Monaco together with some friends. Daniel watches her dance in the middle of the floor. That night they had arrived together as they always did, but at some point she had pulled away from him as she began to get drunk. 

In any case, the Australian did not take his eyes off her for a single second. With a group of friends around her, she and Pierre danced while he made her spin a couple of times on her heels, making her laugh and falling into the frenchman's arms to keep from falling. 

From the other side, the smile that filled Daniel's face automatically disappeared. Why? He himself thinks he doesn't know, but anyone who had witnessed that would be clear that the Australian was jealous. 

—Hey mate, it's all good?— Michael sits next to Daniel with a glass of alcohol in one of his hands. 

—Can you keep an eye on Camille for a moment? I need to go to the bathroom. 

—Okay.— He said simply. 

Not before taking one last look at her, Daniel enters the bathroom and approaches the sink to wet his face a little. Even though he hadn't even had a drink (since he was the designated driver), he blamed the crowd and the overwhelming atmosphere for what he was feeling right now.

After taking a few minutes, he sees Pierre through the reflection. Their eyes meet and Daniel tries to give him a normal smile, but it doesn't feel comfortable at all.  Pierre laughs and pats him on the back, which only annoys Daniel. 

Following that, the brunette leaves the bathroom and automatically starts looking for her with his eyes. It was impossible not to find her right away as she was the center of everyone's attention. 

Standing on top of a table and with everyone cheering her on, the girl danced to the beat of Wannabe from the Spice Girls. 

—Good job, Michael.— He said when he found him in the middle of all the people, even joining in the shouting. 

—Let her have some fun, she's safe.— He replies. Ignoring him, Daniel begins to push through the crowd until he is in the front row in front of her. 

Already there, he gave himself a few seconds to admire her. Her hair moving gracefully and being illuminated by the lights of the place while she wiggled her waist to the rhythm of the song. He could see her smile on her face and her closed eyes that showed that she was enjoying it. 

His thoughts vanish as someone pushes past him and that's when he sees Lando climb on the table with Camille. They both hold hands and begin to dance and sing. Daniel is startled when the girl missteps and almost falls off, but Lando reaches to grab her arm and pulls her to his chest laughing.

Enough is enough, Daniel thinks.

—Camille.— he starts, but apparently no one listens to him, or they just decide to ignore him.

—Camille, come down from there please!— He starts to raise the volume of his voice, but to no avail. Then he resorts to the physical, he gets even closer to the table to touch one of her legs and get her attention. 

She looks down at him and smiles.

—Daniel! Come up her.e— She yells at him unsteadily as she offers one of her hands to him. 

—I think the best thing is that if you get down from there, you can hurt yourself and also tomorrow... 

—I'm fine!— She yells back as she clings to Lando's side. 

—Lando, mate, I think that's enough fun already. Help me get it down please.—Daniel says as he gets on the table, which by the way was big enough for a couple more people to get on. 

—Neveeeeeer!— He yelled in his face, scaring Daniel back to the ground. 

Ok, Lando was much drunker than she was. Maybe he should take them both home. So they keep dancing and suddenly the crowd starts saying something that Daniel doesn't immediately understand. 

"kiss kiss kiss". 

Of course not. Daniel thought. 

Then how could he, he yanked on Camille's arm causing her to fall off the table into his arms. He left her standing to the side of him to do the same for Lando, which was more difficult, but when he did, he took both of their arms and began to walk through the crowd until they were out of it. 

Booing was heard in the process but it stopped seconds later when other people took Lando and Camille's place. 

—Dan, you're hurting me.— Camille complained in a childish tone. 

—I'm sorry, sweetheart.— He immediately released his grip, realizing how tightly he held her. 

On the way to Daniel's car, the girl made no trouble, keeping up with him as she muttered a few incoherent things and leaned into him. Instead Lando was constantly trying to break free of his grasp. 

—Lando, get in the car, please. 

The younger was now sitting on the floor while Camille was already sitting inside, watching the situation in silence. 

—Nope. 

—Come on kid, please. 

—Okay, but on one condition.— Daniel rolled his eyes and gave an exhausted sigh.

—What do you want?— He asked as he crossed his arms. 

—I want a glass of chocolate milk, full…Let it be two.

Daniel looks down at him with a frown. 

—Okay, get in the car. 

—Will you give me what I'm asking for?

—Yes. 

—Thanks Dad. 

The first minutes of the trip, Lando would not stop talking about things that did not have any coherence to Daniel. Then it was pure silence.

Daniel began to hear sobs from behind. He quickly glanced in the rearview mirror to see Lando fast asleep and next to him Camille with her head lowered and her hands resting on her legs. 

—Hey baby. Are you okay? 

—Don't call me like that.— She told him between sobs. Daniel frowned. 

—What's wrong?— He asks but doesn't get an answer, only sobs, which little by little are diminishing until it disappear.

When they finally arrive, Daniel unbuckles his seatbelt, gets out of the car, and walks over to his house to open the door. He then goes back to the car, opens the rear seat door and is startled when he sees that Lando is now sitting in his place, wide-eyed as he stares at him without blinking. 

—Omg Lando, what's wrong with you? Did you consume anything other than alcohol? 

—Will you give me my chocolate milk?

—Yes! I already told you. 

—Great!— He says to himself as he tries to unfasten his seatbelt to no avail. When he does, Daniel steps aside as the boy gets out of the car, staggering home. 

—Hey, be careful. Don't go up to the second floor alone. 

Now Camille has his undivided attention. She's sitting up, now free of the seatbelt, staring at her knees. 

—We're here.— he whispers to her as he sticks only his head inside the vehicle. 

—I don't want to get out of the car, I want to stay here. 

—You can't stay here all night. 

—Yes, I can.— And little by little, the sobs return. 

Then Daniel quickly gets in and sits next to her. 

—Tell me what's going on, please. You know you can trust me.— Then, he puts his hands gently on her face to make her look at him, but she closes her eyes, avoiding his gaze and shuddering under his touch. 

—Look at me.— He whispers. Finally she opens her eyes to meet the brown one of his. 

She blinks a few times, looking from his mouth to his eyes a few times, until in one deft move, she sits on his lap with both legs at the sides of his body.— Wow. 

She feels Daniel's chest rise and fall under her hands, his breath hitting her mouth and feeling his bulge beneath her. 

The australian puts his hands on her waist, moving away from him a little so he can look at her face. But she quickly pulls her bodies closer again, burying her face in his neck. She begins to drop sloppy kisses on the spot, causing Daniel to let out a surprised groan.— Camille, Camille, stop.— He says in her ear, but she ignores it, continuing with her work on her neck.—Baby, no...— Daniel gently takes her off his lap and sits her down next to him. — You're drunk, I can't let you do this… 

—Why you did not like me?

Daniel blinks in surprise. Did she like him? Or was it just the alcohol talking? 

—You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying. 

—Please kiss me now. Or else I'll lose the bet.— Daniel's heart stopped. So that was it, she was doing all this to win a bet. 

—So a bet. And what is it about?— He tried to hide his stricken tone from his voice. 

—It's a silly thing we made with Lando and Pierre. They said that I was never going to tell you I like you, that I was a chicken and that I would never tell you. So I got angry, and I told them… 

—Did you really like me? 

—I love you, isn't that the worst thing you ever heard?— A big unconscious smile appeared on the brunette's lips. 

—How about we better talk about this tomorrow?

[ironwolf-gone]

Tag game! Thank you for tagging me @livrere-green ❤️

❤︎ are you named after anyone?

I was named after a movie

❤︎ when was the last time you cried?

Like 7 to 10 days ago

❤︎ do you have kids?

Hell no and I don’t plan on it. Fuck them kids bro

❤︎ do you play/have you played any sports?

Archery if that counts, other wise no

❤︎ do you like sarcasm?

See I love sarcasm but I can’t be sarcastic online cause it’s all about tone

❤︎ what do you notice about people when you meet them?

Their smile (or lack of)

❤︎ what’s your eye color?

Green babie

❤︎ scary movies or happy endings?

I like both depending on my mood

❤︎ where were you born?

The void known as Ohio

❤︎ any talents?

Writing, painting, zoning tf out when someone is talking

❤︎ what are your hobbies?

Writing, painting, coloring,

❤︎ any pets?

Four gremlins (cats)

❤︎ how tall are you?

4’11

❤︎ what are your favorite school subjects?

Art and English, but I’m not in school anymore thank god

❤︎ what’s your dream job?

Being an author. But I also like my job as a florist now too

Tagging: @iwasnotaslasher @vearasentry @neprezi @maplesyruplover @fauxhound @stellasolaris @midnightrings @bathykolpian @tobemadeofglass @forcesofevilneversleep @lightandspark

(if you guys want to🩷)

[justviwriting]

Hi, just a little update: this blog will be inactive as of now.

I’ve created this side-blog when I wanted to get back into fanfic-writing 2 years ago. And that worked quite well. But I also soon started to post directly to AO3 and became more active on my main blog, so I mostly just used this blog to share links to my stories – which is pretty pointless in the end, because I can also use my main blog for that lol

I still somewhat liked the idea of having a blog solely dedicated to my fanfics, so I kept it alive for a while. But I think it’s time to leave it behind.

I will not delete this blog however. There are a few fics I’ve only posted on here + some nice comments on my stories that I definitely want to keep. But I won’t continue sharing updates to my fics anymore.

You can go follow my main blog @midnightrings if you want. I will still continue sharing my fics over there :)

[sirenascelestiales]

go to pinterest and make yourself a moodboard that fits your vibe/aesthetic/whatever you want!

i was tagged by @joanna-lannister thank you so much for the tag ❤️

I went with a lot of my pins for my 2024 and 2023 mood/vision board. i've been trying to read more and in general be ok with my alone time along with occasionally saying yes to new experiences. I think this captures it well enough 😊🥰

@thearcaneuniversity @midnightrings @cyhaino @fandom-trash-goblin @martellspear and anyone else who wants to! (but as always 0 pressure to do this)

[softhairedhotch]

not sure if uve heard/seen anything about it fellow travellers but ... im literally FERAL because!;&;!,@:&,@:;! ME AND AARON WHEN???!!!!!!

https://www.tumblr.com/midnightrings/734541939230294016/matt-bomer-and-jonathan-bailey-as-hawkins-fuller https://

www.tumblr.com/mwm22/734237206781329408/fellow-travelers-s01e04

https://www.tumblr.com/zanephillips/733909345055670272/fellow-travelers-103-hit-me

i was LITERALLY JUST THINKING ABOUT PUTTING THE SHOW ON RN LMAOOOOOOOO

i wanna watch it so bad i just cba to do it lol but YESSSSSSSSSSS i need to do all of this with aaron soooooooo baddddd

if aaron said "who do you belong to?" to me i'd DIE ON THE SPOT FR god i need that so much AND THE "that's it, you can take it" FUCKKKKKKK

i gotta watch this show i swear

[shychick-52]

@midnightrealness

If you leave a positive comment on my fanfiction be sure I'm gonna read it everyday and cherish it till the end of the world

[fangardium-ficsiosa]

Midnight RED [A KPOP Fanfic] (on Wattpad) 

Does it ever cross your mind that some of the idols you are fans of actually lead a double life? Its either they have got something to do with the mysterious corpses lying on the streets or no... Another question would be... Who? 

Hi everyone, this is an ongoing KPOP fanfiction that includes idols such as 2NE1, GOT7, 2PM, Miss A, VIXX and many more! The reason disbanded groups are included is because I wrote this way back before the disbandments happened. Hence, making this a tribute fanfic for the affected groups and also their fans who still have undying love for them. I hope all of you enjoy this and anticipate till the end! Thank you for your support and be safe in this pandemic! Stay home and read~

With Love, xoxo

[mwuaferrari]

RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME — MICK SCHUMACHER

summary: where ellie, mick and seb are an inseparable group, but everything seems to come to an end when the two men will no longer be with her in the paddock.

pairing: mick schumacher x ellie (reader)

words: 4.16K

warning: you know already that english it's not my first language. the ending is a bit crap, but I was thinking of doing a second part, because I keep writing the story, the main theme of the song would go completely, so tell me in the comments what do you think.

notes: ok, a while ago i wanted to write about this song, but i didn't know whether to write about mick or pierre, so i finally decided to write one for each one hehe.

tags: @primadonnasdream @midnightric @dan3avocado

Remember that you can find the list of songs and the previous imagines here :)

Sebastian, Mick and me. It was always the three of us, together everywhere. If anyone in the paddock was looking for Mick, they knew he had to be with one of us. And the same with Seb and me. 

But now it could no longer be so. Everything would change. Sebastian had announced his retirement from Formula One a few months ago, but that hadn't taken me by surprise as he had told me and Mick about it a while ago. Sure it saddened me, but I was already mentally prepared when he finally made it official. 

But the departure of Mick was something that almost destroyed me. Of course, it was not his fault, because it was Haas who decided not to renew his contract with the team, leaving the german overboard and excluding him from F1. 

But still I felt hurt. 

Because he didn't even tell me. I finally found out on social media. From then on, I tried to ignore him as much as possible, short conversations and dry answers. Obviously both he and Seb noticed it, so at some point we had to talk about it. 

Sitting outside the paddock, like we always did. We would bring things from our own team canteens and sit together for breakfast before the races or our general work started. 

That day we were almost silent. Both Germans would try to make conversation with me, earning only a few short words or just a look, a nod, or sheer silence.

Playing with my breakfast along with an awkward silence that felt like an eternity, I hesitated whether or not to speak. How to do it, how to start. 

—Why didn't you tell me before?— I said in a barely audible whisper, unable to meet his eyes, just looking at him sideways. If I looked up, I was sure I would immediately cry. 

Mick immediately raised his head and looked at me with eyes full of sadness. 

—Ellie, I didn't know it, I swear. I found out a very short time ago. 

—But you told Seb.— I say giving a quick look to the man next to me, who was also silent listening to us, but ready to speak in case it's needed. 

—Yes, but…

 —Mick, I found out from Instagram and Twitter posts. Do you have any idea what that means to me?— I felt the mascara fall down my face, finally looking up. 

—I wanted to, but I didn't know how to tell you.

 Then silence, none of the three spoke. 

—Now I'll be alone. 

—Of course you won't be alone. Daniel will still be a reserve driver and you will be able to find him in the paddock. Esteban and Lance will still be here, you know they appreciate you a lot too.— Mick says quickly. I can tell that he doesn't know how to comfort me. 

—It's not the same, you know what I mean. There were 3 of us everywhere, you are my emotional support every day here. I know I have to be independent of people, but I don't know what I'll do without you. 

I close my eyes, trying to calm my breathing and make the tears stop. After a few seconds, I run my hand through my hair. I feel Seb caress my shoulder, then gently grab my chin so that I turn to look at him. 

—Sweetheart, listen to me.— I see that he has a wet washcloth in one of his hands, which he brings closer to my face and begins to pass it under my eyes, cleaning the mascara that had been soiled by tears. I sag at his touch. How much I would miss the affection with which Seb always treated me, we had formed a relationship like that of a father and his daughter, and not seeing him every day saddens me a lot. —He will return to formula one. They're going to make him come back, I swear. 

And so I held on to that promise for the next year. 

The first day of the 2023 season had arrived. Normally it was Mick and Seb who took me to the paddock, sometimes by motorbike, bicycle, car, but I never arrived alone. Now I was forced to rent a car, since I was dependent on myself to get to work. 

When I get to the place and manage to park, I see a message from Daniel Ricciardo on my phone. 

Dani Rici: Hello girl, how are you? Let me know when you get to the paddock so we can have breakfast together, okay? :) 

I sigh. This was probably Seb's act. I decide to pass on the message for now, so I grab my stuff and get out of the car. At the entrance, I see the Formula One photographers point their cameras in my direction as soon as they see me. I greet them, trying to show that I'm completely fine, that I'm not affected by not having Mick or Seb by my side anymore. Apparently my act wasn't working because I see the look on the faces of the people I greet along the way, a “what a sad sight, poor girl” face. 

As soon as I get to the Aston Martin office, which is where I work, I put my things in my locker and say hello to the people who are already there. A couple of hugs and kisses on the cheek. 

—How was your vacation, Ellie?— One of my coworkers asked me. 

—They were good, what about yours?

—Mine were fantastic. I traveled with my family to some beautiful places, so I really enjoyed it. 

—I'm glad to hear that. Hey, I'm starving, so I'm going to go have breakfast. See you later.

Following that, I go to the team dining room and help myself to a coffee along with a croissant. I walk outside and find an empty table outside, just like I would with Sebastian and Mick. So I sit there eating my breakfast and drowning in memories that will never be again. 

—There you are!— I recognize Daniel's voice. I look up to see him walking in my direction with his characteristic big smile on his face and a cup of tea in one of his hands.— Ellie, good morning.

When he is next to me, he kisses my cheek and gives me a short hug. 

—Good morning, Daniel.— I answered him with a smile. watching him sit in front of me and take a sip of his drink. 

—I've been calling to see where you are, as well as texting you earlier. 

—Sorry, I left my phone in the office, I don't have it with me now. 

—Oh, it's fine. And tell me, how were your vacations? 

Why do I feel like I've been asked that same question a million times already?

—They were good, thanks for asking. What about yours? 

—Just “fine”? Don't you want to tell me what you did?

 I was silent for a few seconds. I took a small sigh before speaking. 

—Well, the truth is, I did a lot of things. I went to see my family, I spent Christmas with them,, plus I traveled with Mick and Seb's family to Disneyland... 

—Oh yeah, I saw photos of that on Instagram, I could see you were having fun. 

We had both already finished our breakfast and had been telling each other about our vacation for about 20 minutes. Now I was laughing about something Daniel was telling me. 

—Hellooooo.— Still laughing, I see how Lance takes a seat next to me.— What are you two laughing so much about?

—Daniel was just telling me about…— I stopped abruptly as my gaze met a ring Lance was wearing on his ring finger.— Is that an engagement ring?

 Lance's mouth dropped open, but no words came out. 

—No way! Did you propose to your girlfriend?— Daniel quickly reached for the Canadian's hand to take a closer look at the ring. 

—Yes, I asked her a week ago. 

—I won.— I said in a whisper to myself.

—Sorry, what did you say? 

—Nothing, I was just remembering something. 

9 months ago 

It’s Lance's birthday, so now we were at his party. He had invited a couple of drivers, family, friends, close people and his girlfriend. Mick and I, as always, hardly parted ways. After dancing, we were now sitting alone in an armchair, my head resting on the German's chest as we looked at the others on the dance floor. 

We laugh as we see Lance and his girlfriend, the guy spinning the girl around as they both laugh, hug and kiss. 

—They are so cute.— I say..

—Yes, you can tell they are very much in love. 

—I hope one day to have something like that with someone.— I say without thinking.— That sounded very desperate, it's not that I need someone to feel complete, but... 

—I get it. 

Then we were silent for a while. 

—He bought her a ring, you know? 

—Mhh?— I muttered, confused, raising my head to look at him. 

—Lance, he bought his girlfriend a ring, he wants to ask her to be his wife.

—What?— I sit upright and cover my mouth in surprise. 

—It's true, I went with him to buy the ring. But don't tell anyone huh... 

—Do you think he's going to propose to her now?— I say almost in a whisper, but loud enough for Mick to hear. 

—No, I don't think so. The truth is, he's been wanting to do it for a while, but he says he can't find the time. I think he is scared... 

—Let's make a bet.

—A bet? 

—Yes, I think he will propose to her before the next racing season starts. 

I see Mick frown and give me a lopsided smile. 

—Oh yeah? And how are you so sure? 

—I don't know, it's just a feeling. 

—Ok, I think it will be after march. But what will the one who gets it right win? 

—How about that trip to Egypt you wanted me to go with you?" 

—Yes! I agree. Done deal. Wait... And if you guess correctly, what will you win? 

—Mhh, I don't know, let me think….— I say looking at the ceiling, as if the answer were there. 

—How about continuing with my prize, we will take a trip to a place you want to go. 

—To Paris. 

—Clever. If Lance asks her to be his wife before the 2023 season, we'll go to Paris, you and me. 

July 10, 2023, one day after the United Kingdom race

Today was my 24th birthday. At 00:00 I had received my first congratulatory message and it had been from Mick. Seb called me this morning and we chatted for a while, cutting off our conversation by telling me that he had something important to do. 

One of my favorite things was being able to talk to Sebastian for hours without getting bored, we always had topics of conversation, and he always had advice to give me, it never ran out. So now I am a little sad. 

Throughout the day I had received messages and calls from friends, from my family, even from people in the paddock. Lance and Esteban had invited me to have lunch with them in the afternoon, and yesterday before the race they had spoken with me to coordinate something for my birthday. I finally agreed, deciding to have dinner at a restaurant (which was recommended by Dani Ric) and invite a couple of drivers, taking advantage of the fact that they are still in the United Kingdom after race week. 

Now it was 6 pm, I was in my hotel room while I was looking at what to wear for dinner. Sitting on my bed was Heidi, Daniel's girlfriend. The truth is that I didn't used to talk much with her, although I thought she was a very nice girl, but it was Daniel who lately has tried to make us friends with her. 

30 minutes ago, Daniel had entered my room together with Heidi next to him. A couple of minutes later, the Australian made a comment about how his girlfriend could help me choose what to wear for the night. We both shyly accept, more to please Daniel. 

—I hope you don't mind that I'm here, if you want I can go, there's really no problem…—I hear her say behind my back while I look for something in my suitcase. 

—No, no. It's okay, please. Anyway, maybe I need some girly help around here.— I say turning around and leaving a couple of things on the bed next to her. 

She smirks at me and starts looking at the clothes. 

—What is this? I'm sorry, it's beautiful. You have to wear it tonight.— She lifts up an emerald green dress. 

—You think? I don't know… Isn't it a lot?

—It's not so elegant or so simple, it's perfect for the occasion.— She tells me, and I finally agree with her. 

After a while, she excuses herself to go to her own room and get ready. So she does it, and I start putting on makeup, something simple. 

Now we were on our way. Daniel as a pilot and Heidi by his side talking about a subject I don't know. Me in the back of the car, memories eat away at me while I play with the pendant around my neck. 

Exactly one year ago... 

—I have a gift for you.— Mick whispers. 

After a birthday party with most of my family and singing karaoke with my aunts, Mick and I had escaped to the roof. Both huddled together sharing the same blanket, illuminated by the moonlight. 

—Mick, you know it wasn't necessary.— I turn to look at him, regretting quickly seeing how close we were to each other. 

—But I wanted to.— I see his lips move.— It's something small, but as soon as I saw it, I thought of you.

 I see how he moves a little away from me and the blanket that covered us falls. The body heat from him and the blanket leaving me, leaving me with only the thin dress I was wearing that night. He takes a small box out of his pocket and offers it to me. 

—Are you going to ask me to marry you? I thought that was a Lance thing. 

I hear him let out a small laugh that makes my stomach tingle and my heart race a little. 

—Come on, open it up.

I do what he tells me. Inside the small box rests a delicate chain along with a small and even more delicate emerald diamond. 

—Mick…— I say in a whisper as I admire the object.

It reminded me of your eyes...—I close the box, leave it on my lap and give my friend a hug. 

—Thank you, I love it.— I say with my head buried in his neck. When I separated from him, even with the little light that illuminated us, I could swear that I saw his cheeks flushed with him. 

—Give it to me, let's see how it looks on you.— I passed it to him, our fingers brushing against each other for a millisecond. I didn't know what I was feeling. 

I turned around and grabbed my hair to make his job easier. I can feel his calming breath against my neck as he struggles to open the necklace. 

—Almost there.— He says and I laugh.—Ok, here it goes.

Already with the necklace, I look at it for a few seconds on my neck, and finally I turn to look at him again. 

—What do you think?— I ask with a smile. He looks at me silently. He looks at the necklace, up my face, my mouth, and finally my eyes. 

—Beautifull. 

After that, we return to our previous position. But this time it was different, closer, my head buried in his chest and one of his arms encircling me and circling my shoulder. In that position, I can see him adjust several times. Maybe he's just uncomfortable. 

—Is something wrong?— I ask finally. 

—No, nothing. Why?— He answers quickly. I frown and pull away from him so I can look at his face. 

—Are you sure? 

—Yep.

My body asks me to get closer to him again, to feel his warmth covering me again and feel his smell filtering through my nostrils. But I think that maybe he's uncomfortable and he just doesn't want to say it so he doesn't make me feel bad. 

—Maybe we should go downstairs with my family.— I pull the blanket completely off my body and prepare to stand up, but Mick's hand pulling me back down prevents me. 

—Ellie, I want…— He quickly trails off and starts scratching his head. 

—Hey hey, what's up? You know you can tell me anything, please. 

—I just don't know how to explain it. I just need to do something, but it scares me.— He speaks so softly it's almost impossible for me to understand what he's saying, but I do.

—Do what? 

—Kiss you.— It takes me a few seconds to analyze those two words. Had he really said what I think he said? 

—K-kiss me?— I ask, just to check that my ears haven't deceived me. 

—I just want to… try it and see how I feel, because a while ago I started to… 

—Do it.— I say licking my lips. 

—What? 

—Do it, kiss me.— Mick blinks, stunned. But he quickly reacts, bringing his body closer to mine and raising his hand to my cheek. He leaves a few light caresses there and then goes down to my chin to bring my face closer to his. 

I closed my eyes waiting for the contact, but it never came. Because before anything else can happen, the sudden sound of the window opening interrupts us, causing us to get far enough apart. 

—I knew you were here. Ellie, we're going to sing happy birthday to you, so both of you come downstairs.— It had been Seb who interrupted us, who luckily didn't notice our burning cheeks or our agitated breaths from the nerves of being caught. 

—Yeah, we were about to go down, so… 

—Okay, it's cold out here…— Seb's voice trailed off as he entered the room. 

After that neither of us said anything about it. Not even after a year has passed. And something like that never happened again, even making me think that maybe that day Mick drank too much and it was the alcohol that made him do what he did and said.

end of the flashback

“did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? Time went on for everybody else, she won't know it. She's still 23 inside her fantasy, how it was supposed to be”.

I look at the people around me talking and laughing among themselves. Some drivers, engineers, people from the paddock in general. I'm happy, of course I am. But someone is missing, two of my favorite people in this world are missing

—Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.— Escucho como todos comienzan a cantar en unísono. Miro hacia mi derecha y veo a uno de los meseros traer una torta con una gran vela prendida encima y la pone encima de la mesa.—Happy birthday to dear Ellie, happy birthday to you.

Look at the candle in front of me, applause followed by shouts for me to make a wish. I smile as I start to close my eyes. I think of something and blow out the candle. When I open my eyes again, the people around me applaud.

The darkness returns, but it's not just me with my eyes closed, but this time I feel a pair of big hands blocking my view. Instinctively I bring my hands over the strangers.

Is he really who I think he is?

When I hear his laugh, it confirms that what I thought seconds before was correct.

I quickly get up from my seat and turn to find Mick and Sebastian standing, the latter holding a large bouquet of different colored flowers.

—Guys!— I let go through tears. I throw myself into Mick's arms first, who quickly covers me. I bury my head in his chest and inhale his scent. Seconds later, I feel another person joining the hug, whom I quickly recognize as Seb.

—I missed you so much, I never imagined that you would come here.—I kiss both men on the cheek. —You didn't have to, but I really appreciate it, I needed you so much.

—Anything for you little one.— Seb says affectionately as he messes up my hair.

…

The meeting had been calm, people began to leave little by little, saying goodbye and each one going to their hotels.

It was already late, only Seb, Lewis, Daniel, Heidi, Esteban, Lance, Mick and me were there. The atmosphere was still very lively, everyone laughing at a joke that Esteban had made. I shifted my gaze to Mick, I see how his eyes narrow when he smiles and how his hair moves gracefully when he leans forward laughing. He was wearing simple jeans along with a white shirt that made him look so gorgeous..

—Hey.— Sebastian's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I look at him and feel the blood rise to my cheeks from the thought that he caught me looking at the blond boy.—Are you tired?— He asks me.

—Yeah, i mean, just a little.

—I don't think this will end anytime soon, the boys are having so much fun. But you can go to the hotel, Mick can go with you.

—Me what?— Mick exclaims in front of us, curious to hear his name in our little conversation.

—Could you take Ellie to the hotel? Taking advantage of the fact that you will stay with her.

—Oh yeah. Of course, of course.

—There's no need! You're having fun with the boys… I can take an uber.— I say quickly, getting a laugh from him and he shakes his head. I see how he gets up from his seat and begins to say goodbye to the others, an action that I immediately copied.

As we're outside walking towards his rental car, I brake suddenly when I feel cold and remember that I had brought a jacket with me that night. 

—Wait, I forgot my...

—Your jacket, here it is.— Mick interrupted me just as I was about to turn to return to look for it, he is holding up my garment for me to see.

—Oh thanks.

—It doesn't matter.

When we get to the car, Mick opens the passenger door for me to get in, whispering "thank you" to him before getting in.

The road was silent. Something felt weird, but I didn't know what it was.

—I'm sorry…— I suddenly hear his voice and I turn to look at him.

—Why?

—I don't know, for abandoning you. I know that it affected you a lot that Seb and I have left Formula 1, and I am really sorry.

—What are you talking about? You didn't abandon me, it wasn't your fault, it was Haas who didn't want to rehire you.

—If I had done a better job, Haas would have renewed my contract and I could have been there for you this season...

—Mick, it's not…— I start to speak, putting my hand over his, but he cuts me off.

—No Ellie, I'm sorry. it's my fault. And please don't try to deny it, because you won't be able to change my mind.

The rest of the way was just as silent as the rest, but now it was uncomfortable, nostalgic.

When we got to the hotel, we both took a quick shower before going to bed. This was not the first time, we had slept together many times before, so it was not something strange or new in our relationship as friends.

Both of us with our backs to each other, the lights already off, but I can tell Mick is still awake by the way he breathes and shifts on the mattress.

—You know what?— I say suddenly, turning in his direction.

—What happen? You can not sleep?

—Turn around, I want to talk to you.

He complies with my request, now we are both face to face, but far enough away that I don't get nervous.

—I think you owe me a prize.

—A prize? What do you mean?— He says, frowning and thinking for a few seconds. When he finally realized what I  meant, his eyes widened and his mouth shaped like an "o" .— Lance proposed to her before the season began.

—Yep.

—You won the bet.

—Yep.

—So I owe you a trip to Paris.

—Exactly.